Race for the No. 1 Pick of the 2025 NFL Draft:
New York Giants:
The Saints got a win over the Giants and dropped New York to 2-11. If New York lands the No.1 pick, they should take Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders to be their franchise quarterback.
Las Vegas Raiders:
The Raiders are 2-11 after losing to Tampa Bay, and they are dealing with the ramifications of many terrible decisions by Mark Davis. Allowing the NFL league office to force him to fire Jon Gruden was a crucial mistake. Davis then followed it up by not keeping Rich Bisaccia after the Raiders went to the playoffs, and then Davis made the terrible move of hiring Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler. Las Vegas has a bad roster after the McDaniels-Ziegler years and needs a massive rebuild, including a true replacement for Carr. If Las Vegas gets the No. 1 pick, they should select Sanders.
Top General Manager Candidates:
- Detroit Lions director of scouting development Mike Martin
- Detroit Lions assitant general manager Ray Agnew
- Atlanta Falcons vice president of player personnel Kyle Smith
- Indianapolis Colts chief personnel executive Morocco Brown
- Buffalo Bills director of player personnel Terrance Gray
- Tennessee Titans director of pro scouting Brian Gardner
- Philadelphia Eagles director of scouting Brandon Hunt
- Miami Dolphins assistant general manager Marvin Allen
- Washington director of pro scouting Eric Stokes
- New England Patriots executive Alonzo Highsmith
Top Head Coach Candidates:
- Super Bowl-winning head coach Jon Gruden
- Super Bowl-winning head coach Bill Belichick
- Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson
- Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn
- Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik
- Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley
- Green Bay Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia
- Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen
- Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson
- Former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel
Head Coach Hot-Seat Tracker:
- Jacksonville Jaguars: Doug Pederson
- Dallas Cowboys: Mike McCarthy
- New York Giants: Brian Daboll
Let’s Play Matchmaker:
Seattle Seahawks: Lander Barton, LB, Utah 
The Seahawks swept the Cardinals with a huge road win that puts Seattle in firm control of the NFC West with an 8-5 record. They also are on track to be the third seed in the NFC. Arizona got a good game out of James Conner and he hurt the Seattle defense. If the Cardinals had not fallen behind because of Kyler Murray interceptions, they would have been able to attack the Seahawks more with Conner. Seattle could use more young talent at linebacker.
In 2024 Barton has 72 tackles with four passes broken up and two interceptions. Barton (6-3, 233) was on his way to an impressive 2023 season before a right foot injury ended his season after seven games. In those seven contests, he totaled 34 tackles with two interceptions, one forced fumble, and two passes broken up. In 2022, he had 46 tackles with 4.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and one pass broken up. The NFL advance scouts gave Barton a high projection on their preseason watch list, and he could be a solid day-two pick for Seattle.
Miami Dolphins: Trey Amos, CB, Ole Miss 
The Dolphins and Jets battled to overtime with both teams featuring a passing attack that they thought they would have all season. Aaron Rodgers had a big game through the air to Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams while the Dolphins flashed their 2023 form with Tua Tagovailoa hooking up with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. With Jalen Ramsey aging, Miami could use some cornerback youth.
Amos flashed on tape for Alabama in 2023, and he has picked up where he left off after transferring to Ole Miss. Thus far in 2024, Amos has 47 tackles with three interceptions and 13 passes broken up. Amos (6-1, 190) has good size, speed, and athleticism. He could be a riser for the 2025 NFL Draft next April and would make sense as a first-round pick for Miami.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State 
The Steelers got a home win over the Browns to improve to 10-3 on the season. Pittsburgh won despite terrible production from their wide receivers. They were led through the air by tight end Pat Freiermuth (3-48) while Scotty Miler (3-38) and Mike Williams (3-36) had the most production with George Pickens out of the lineup with a hamstring injury. Pittsburgh badly needs some receiving talent from the 2025 NFL Draft.
In 2023, Egbuka had 60 catches for 743 yards and nine touchdowns. The 6-foot-1, 205-pounder turned in 74 receptions for 1,151 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2022. He emerged as a potential No. 1 receiver or really good No. 2 wideout. At other schools, Egbuka would have had an even bigger year, but he was the No. 2 receiver for Ohio State across from Marvin Harrison Jr. While injuries were a factor in 2023, Egbuka needs a bounce-back season in 2024 as he looked much faster in 2022 compared to his 2023 performance. Thus far in 2024, Egbuka has 56 catches for 692 yards and nine touchdowns. In the second round of the 2025 draft, Egbuka could be a solid pick for Pittsburgh.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Tyler Booker, G, Alabama 
The Jaguars got their third win of the season with their defense holding the Titans to only six points. Mac Jones threw two interceptions, but the ineffectiveness of Tennessee’s scoring attack made it irrelevant. This offseason, Jacksonville needs to invigorate their ground offense. Against the Titans, they averaged only 2.7 yards per carry, and they need a rushing attack to help Trevor Lawrence. Adding some power on the interior of the offensive line would make sense.
In his second season as a starter with the Crimson Tide, Booker (6-5, 325) has turned into a dominant performer up front who consistently wins his blocks in impressive fashion. As a pass protector, Booker has no issues stonewalling bullrushes and mirroring speed rushers. Booker is a beast and extremely strong as a run blocker. He constantly generates movement at the point of attack and drives defenders out of their gap in a violent fashion. The powerful Booker can get a serious push at the line with brute physicality and power. He is a people mover in the ground game and looks like a plug-and-play starter at guard in the NFL. Booker could make a lot of sense for Jacksonville early in the second round.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Danny Stutsman, LB, Oklahoma 
The Buccaneers took ownership of first place in the NFC South with a win over the pathetic Raiders. Tampa Bay cruised over a Raiders team that was done to their third-string quarterback. Surprisingly, Las Vegas running back Sincere McCormick had some success running on Tampa Bay with 78 yards on 15 carries (5.2 average). Lavonte David is aging, and the Bucs could use an upgrade to go with him if David returns in 2025.
Stutsman (6-4, 241) is a tough linebacker for the Sooners, making a lot of tackles and some splash plays for his defense. Thus far in 2024, Stutsman has 110 tackles with one sack. In 2023, he totaled 104 tackles, three sacks, an interception, two forced fumbles, and three passes defended. In 2022, he recorded 124 tackles, three sacks, two interceptions, and five passes broken up. Team sources said Stutsman is athletic, quick, and instinctive. They said he has good size and length but lacks ideal strength and physicality. He also has some limitations in coverage. They called Stutsman a less strong, more finesse version of Pete Werner. Stutsman could be a solid second-round pick for Tampa Bay.
Detroit Lions: Bradyn Swinson, DE, LSU 
The Lions defense has been decimated by injury. From Week 1 to now, they have lost their top two edge rushers in Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport, middle linebacker Alex Anzalone, and Sam linebacker Derrick Barnes. The trade for Za’Darius Smith has really helped Detroit, but they need more edge rush. This offseason, they could use another edge rusher to rotate with Hutchinson, Za’Darius Smith, and Josh Paschal to keep them fresh and have depth to safeguard for injuries.
The 6-foot-4, 250-pound Swinson is a tough defender at the point of attack. He is strong to shed blocks and has the speed to run around the corner. In 2024, Swinson has 54 tackles, 8.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles. At 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, Swinson is not big, but he has some size to him, and he could play in a 4-3 or 3-4 defense. Swinson looks like a future NFL starter who could be a first- or second-round pick next April. Swinson could make sense for Detroit at the end of the first round.
New Orleans Saints: James Pearce Jr., DE, Tennessee 
The Saints got a road win with Bryan Bresee continuing his excellent season, including a sack and a blocked field goal to clinch the 14-11 win over the Giants. New York almost pulled off a fourth quarter comeback as Drew Lock started moving the ball late in the game. The Saints could use an edge rusher to pair with Bresee to help close out games. Cam Jordan is nearing the end of his great career, and Chase Young is a free agent. Here’s a quarterback hunter to go wih Bresee.
Pearce has 35 tackles, 7.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and one pass batted and has produced a lot of pressures thus far in 2024. Pearce was a big-time presence for the Volunteers in 2023, making a lot of splash plays and producing a lot of pressure on the quarterback. He totaled 28 tackles with 10 sacks, 14.5 tackles for a loss, two forced fumbles, two passes batted, and an interception. Pearce is listed at 6-foot-5, 242 pounds, but that could be inflated. If those numbers are exaggerated, as often is the case, Pearce could fit as an outside linebacker and edge rusher in a 3-4 defense. Pearce would need to gain weight and get stronger to be an every-down defensive end in a 4-3 scheme. Pearce could be a good first-round pick for the Saints.
Team Draft Report:
In this section, we take a deeper look at specific teams and where they stand in regards to the 2025 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders:
In the preseason, I had the Raiders projected to be picking No. 1 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, and that prediction of Las Vegas being one of the worst teams in the league has proven true. The fault lies with Raiders owner Mark Davis, who never should have let the league office pressure him to force Jon Gruden out. In Gruden’s final season, Las Vegas made the post-season despite some key injuries and they almost beat the eventual AFC champion Bengals in the opening round. Davis compounded the mistake with terrible hires in Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler. Antonio Pierce and Tom Telesco are off to a rough start, and it won’t be long before their seats heat up. Las Vegas has a lot of holes on their roster that need to be fixed to get the Raiders back to playoff contention.
In my latest mock 2025 NFL Draft, I have the Raiders taking Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, and he would be an excellent selection for Las Vegas. Sanders would be the franchise quarterback that Las Vegas so badly needs. While Sanders may not have a rare skill set, he is extremely accurate and has an advanced football IQ. He would bring a swagger and presence to the Raiders franchise they have not had since Gruden. Aside from Sanders, Las Vegas could consider quarterbacks like Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Texas’ Quinn Ewers, and Miami’s Cam Ward. They may not be legit high first-rounders, but the Raiders are desperate for a franchise quarterback.
Aside from quarterbacks, Las Vegas has a ton of holes on their roster. They need a No. 1 wide receiver to replace Davante Adams. They need a true No. 1 cornerback, more talent on the offensive line, and an upgrade at running back. If Aidan O’Connell plays well enough to be the starter next year, or they miss out on a top quarterback prospect, they could consider adding Colorado cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter. Hunter is a dynamic athlete and playmaker like former Raider Charles Woodson. Hunter could play both ways for Las Vegas and help them on both sides of the ball.
The Raiders are in a deep hole to climb out of in the competitive AFC West. The Chiefs are a dynasty that won’t end anytime soon with Pat Mahomes and Andy Reid. The Chargers are massively improved and have a championship-caliber quarterback in Justin Herbert. The Broncos are also much better with a talented young quarterback in Bo Nix. If the Raiders don’t nail the 2025 NFL Draft, they will be a perennial last-place team in the AFC West for many years to come.
Los Angeles Chargers:
The Chargers have been one of the most improved teams in the NFL in 2024, and the reason is clear as day with the new culture established by Jim Harbaugh. With the culture improved, the team has become more physical and plays more fundamental football. Harbaugh and new general manager Joe Hortiz added more power at the point of attack, and clearly, Los Angeles is headed in the right direction. With another good offseason, the Chargers could compete head-to-head with the elite of the AFC.
The Chargers took some castoffs in J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards to replace Austin Ekeler, and Dobbins particular, has run well for Los Angeles. However, Dobbins has been injury-prone throughout his career, and Edwards is more of a backup quality player. In the 2025 NFL DRaft, Los Angeles could use a backfield difference maker to make their ground-based offense even more potent. In my latest mock 2025 NFL Draft, I have the Chargers taking Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty. Jeanty would be a plug-and-play upgrade, but they also could address another position and target a running back on day two. In the second round, they could land a talented runner like North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton. Hampton, Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins, or Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson would be talent upgrades with three down feature backs that could transform the Chargers offense.
Defensively, Los Angeles could consider going best player available, as they could use help at all three levels. However, Harbaugh’s teams have always prioritized the defensive line, so that could be a top consideration. They could use young talent for the interior of the defensive line so Harbaugh could consider targeting his former Wolverine tackle Mason Graham. Graham would give them a run stuffer and pocket pusher to help provide some interior pass rush. They also could consider tackles like Ohio State’s Tyleik Williams, Tennessee’s Omarr Norman-Lott, and Oregon’s Jordan Burch. They may not pick high enough to land Michigan’s Kenneth Grant, but the rest could be upgrades for Los Angeles.
The Chargers could also think of an edge rusher if they deem Joey Bosa or Khalil Mack too pricey to keep on the roster. They also could consider adding help at linebacker and in the secondary. Los Angeles will probably continue to do large roster makeovers as Harbaugh and Hortiz put their stamp on the roster. Los Angeles has an elite quarterback in Justin Herber who is in the prime years of his career, continuing to bolster their ground attack and building up their defense could lead the Chargers to the Super Bowl.
